TikTok has announced the restoration of its services to 170 million US users after President-elect Donald Trump pledged to grant the app a reprieve upon assuming office on Monday.
The Chinese-owned app had ceased functioning for American users on Sunday amid concerns that user data could be accessed by Chinese authorities.
However, hours after going offline, TikTok issued a statement confirming it was “restoring service,” attributing the move to “the necessary clarity and assurance” provided by the president-elect. The company also expressed its commitment to working with Trump on “a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
On Truth Social, Trump’s social media platform, he urged companies to prevent TikTok from remaining inaccessible, stating,
“I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, had previously defied a law requiring the sale of its US operations to avoid a ban. The law, upheld by the Supreme Court on Friday, took effect on Sunday.
With millions of users in the US, TikTok has become a significant platform for political campaigns targeting younger voters. While Trump initially supported a ban on the app, he later revealed a “warm spot” for it, highlighting the billions of views his campaign videos received on TikTok during the previous election.
The law enacted in April mandates the removal of TikTok from app stores and web-hosting services in the US. TikTok has argued that the legislation infringes on free speech protections for its users.